Like his contemporary, Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas was a singer who moved
into the field of talk television as he hit middle age. His show was rarely
controversial but his welcoming personality made the show very popular
for a 20+ year run.

The Mike Douglas Show originally was produced in Cleveland at Westinghouse’s
KYW-TV in 1961. It would be syndicated to several other Group W stations
until 1964 when it went national. A year later the show moved to Philadelphia
and was produced there until 1978. The final two years of the show’s
run emanated from Burbank.

Douglas’ show was lighthearted, reflecting his personality and the
type of entertainment he himself enjoyed. He took the concept of a celebrity
guest-host and utilized it almost non-stop until the program’s eventual
cancellation in 1980. People often remember specific programs based on
the guest host. Stars such as Burt Reynolds, Rosemary Clooney and John
Lennon & Yoko Ono were some of the names to work with Douglas for
an entire week. In fact, the John & Yoko appearances have become part
of television legend.